


Thunderstruck

by JasmineTeaLatte



Series: Gifts the Moonlight Gave Us [4]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: AU of my own fanfic, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Suggestive Themes, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:55:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29245416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JasmineTeaLatte/pseuds/JasmineTeaLatte
Summary: The nurse observed them all in silence before she began whispering, almost as if she were telling their group a secret.Something in his gut told Zuko that what they were about to hear was truly momentous, yet he and the others were entirely unprepared for the revelation all the same.He certainly wasn’t expecting the bombshell that he and Katara hadn’t been as careful as they previously thought. Despite their best efforts, they’d brought back an unexpected souvenir from their fateful night together on Ember Island – namely, the new, unborn heir to the Fire Nation.~*~*~An alternate take on a few chapters from "Souvenirs We Brought Back From Ember Island," if fate (re: me, the author) decided to wreak even more chaos by having Zuko learn the truth at the same time as the Gaang, Iroh, and Hakoda.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Gifts the Moonlight Gave Us [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1971925
Comments: 16
Kudos: 106





	Thunderstruck

**Author's Note:**

> Me: has at least three other fanfics in progress. 
> 
> Also me: hey, let's write this oneshot AU for my own fic that no one asked for! 
> 
> ~*~*~ 
> 
> I decided to take a quick break from working on my other stuff (ZK Big Bang fic included) to explore how the scene where everyone finds out about Katara's surprise pregnancy in "Souvenirs" would have gone had Zuko been present along with the rest of the Gaang for the big bombshell. Some elements will change, while others stay the same. If you haven't read that fic first, though, what are you doing here? Go read it!
> 
> For the rest of you, enjoy...

Fire Lord Zuko had never been happier to hear the bell ring from somewhere out in the capital city, announcing that noon and lunchtime had finally arrived.

It also signaled that his meetings with the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe dignitaries were concluded for the remainder of the day, and by that point the Fire Lord was ready to yank out all of his hair in frustration.

Normally he wouldn’t have been so impatient and ready to bolt from the room at the first opportunity, especially not during such an important conference as this.

However, his thoughts had drifted all throughout, worrying about Katara and wondering how she was doing. Her lady-in-waiting mentioned at breakfast that the waterbender had been sick all morning long, and Suki and Toph had immediately rushed out to go check on their friend.

While Zuko appreciated the gesture, a small part of him was jealous – it should have been _him_ caring for Katara and whispering words of encouragement as he held her comfortingly in his arms.

Still though, he supposed he should be thankful that someone was looking after her in the meantime.

All he could think about as one of Chief Arnook’s representatives droned on and on was whether or not the doctors had discovered what was wrong with Katara yet and if she’d been treated.

Was it a stomach illness or something more severe? Was she scared? Did she need him?

His thoughts wandered all throughout the meetings, though thankfully he was still mentally present enough to do his job and be somewhat useful. If nothing else, he should at least work to bring about peace, even though his heart was elsewhere.

Once that bell rang out, though, he brought the proceedings to a halt as politely as possible.

As his guests piled out of the conference room, one of King Kuei’s representatives seemed as if he wanted to hang back to speak the Fire Lord about something. Fortunately, he changed his mind and followed the others, leaving Zuko alone with his uncle, the Avatar, Chief Hakoda, and Sokka.

It was just as well, Zuko thought drily. He highly doubted he could continue to be diplomatic and put off visiting Katara for much longer, anyways.

And so, after a brief stop by his bedroom to change into something less ornate than his bulky robes and shoulder spikes, he joined the others as they set off in the direction of Katara’s bedchamber.

~*~*~

Suki and Toph bolted upright in their seats when the others filed into the antechamber connected to Katara’s room to wait for an official diagnosis.

“Hey babe,” Sokka said, plopping down beside his girlfriend and greeting her with a kiss on the cheek. “Any word yet?”

For some reason, the Kyoshi warrior swallowed nervously before she shook her head. Zuko thought this was a bit odd but was soon distracted as his uncle flagged down a servant from the hallway and requested that lunch be brought to them while they waited.

Shortly after they finished their meal, the door to the bedroom finally opened up and a woman who Zuko didn’t recognize poked her head out.

The Fire Lord’s eyes narrowed suspiciously at the sight of the stranger. He had become familiar with all of the palace doctors and nurses during his recovery from the Agni Kai, and they had worked side by side with Katara to help heal his lightning wound in near record time.

Zuko knew most of the medical staff by name now, but he didn’t know this woman, although her face still lit up in recognition upon seeing their group.

“Lady Atsuno!” his uncle exclaimed weakly, his eyes widening as realization slowly dawned across his features. “I was not expecting to see you here.”

That too was bizarre, Zuko thought, as their group observed Iroh’s bewildered reaction. His uncle clearly recognized the woman, who he assumed was a nurse or a doctor, but why did he appear to be so shaken up?

“General Iroh, it’s been far too long,” the lady known as Atsuno responded with a perfectly pleasant smile.

Then to his surprise, she turned and bowed directly before him as well.

“Your highness, it’s good to see you again,” she said. “The last time I saw you was shortly after the birth of your sister. You were but a small child back then, barely a few years old.”

Huh. He had absolutely no recollection of her, although he bowed his head and said something generically polite in reply, thankfully having picked that skill up in recent days.

Lady Atsuno then turned to address the others with a slight frown painting her features.

“I’ve been told that the father is unaware of the current situation,” she said in hushed tones, as if she were telling their group a secret. “None of you would happen to know his whereabouts, would you?”

Hakoda stood up and exhaled through his nose, likely in an attempt to calm his nerves, and Zuko felt a pang of guilt. As worried as he’d been over Katara’s wellbeing, her own father had to be far more anxious. So as much as it pained him to do so, Zuko decided to let her immediate family take precedence and visit with her first.

“I’m Katara’s father,” Hakoda said coolly, although fear crept into his tone and his eyes. “How is my daughter? Is she going to be alright?”

There was a muffled thud and padding noise from inside the bedroom, almost as if someone had leapt out of bed and was rushing towards them…

But Zuko had no time to dwell on that unusual sound, as the Lady Atsuno shook her head and proceeded to drop the bombshell that would change their lives, especially Zuko’s, forever.

“My apologies, I should have clarified,” she said. “I meant the _baby’s_ father.”

~*~*~

And just like that, his entire world screeched to a halt, as if he’d been thrown from a mount and landed on his back on the hard ground, knocking the wind right out of him.

Wait.

What.

_What?_

All Zuko could do was stare dumbly at the woman, vaguely aware of teacups breaking nearby as several of his companions dropped them in shock.

Katara was pregnant? But that was impossible, she couldn’t possibly be carrying…

… his child. _Their_ child.

But that… that meant he was now a…

They heard an outcry of horror, followed by a loud swear from inside the bedroom that would have made Toph proud under different circumstances.

Lady Atsuno’s face grew pale as she realized her mistake far too late, and she clapped her hands over her mouth in horror.

“Oh… oh my,” she finally squeaked as everyone else stared at her in astonishment. “I… I thought you already knew…”

Sokka squawked out some sarcastic response, although Zuko barely heard it. His friend’s voice was indistinct and far away, almost as if he were speaking underwater.

For a moment, he thought he might actually burst into flames. He wasn’t angry, of course… he was simply in complete and utter shock, with just a twinge of denial.

No, shock wasn’t an adequate enough word to convey the depth of his feelings at this particular moment.

How about baffled? Incredulous?

Stupefied?

More like _stupid_ , actually – here he was internally debating vocabulary when there were far more important matters at stake.

Namely, that the woman who he loved and had risked his life and throne to protect was pregnant with his _child_ , conceived the only time they had actually slept together that fateful last night at the Ember Island beach house.

 _How could this even happen?_ he wondered hazily as his focus shifted. She had drunk the contraceptive tea the morning after, she’d said so herself, and they hadn’t done anything more intimate than kiss each other in the month-and-a-half since then.

 _This is impossible, there has to be some mistake_ , he thought weakly as the world seemed to spin again and his legs wobbled slightly beneath him.

Zuko flattened one of his palms against the wall to steady himself, breathing heavily and zoning out again as his group of friends bypassed Lady Atsuno entirely and raced into Katara’s bedroom.

Only his uncle and Hakoda remained with him in the now-silent antechamber, observing him with furrowed brows and exchanging somber glances with each other.

From the other room they heard Lady Atsuno apologizing profusely to Katara for this terrible error, sounding as if she were on the verge of tears. She left the bedchamber moments later, wringing her hands in distress, apologizing once more. 

“I assumed that Miss Suki and Miss Toph had already informed your party of the news,” she explained to the three men, dabbing her eyes. “It was not my intention to cause stress or discord…”

Uncle quietly and calmly sent the midwife away, thanking her for her services and instructing her not to breathe a word of this to anyone at all until they said otherwise.

Meanwhile, the chief’s stern gaze settled on Zuko, and a chill ran down his spine as something like ice flashed in her father’s eyes.

 _He knows_.

Once Iroh turned to face them again, he too had a knowing look on his face, although his features didn’t seem quite as upset as Hakoda’s.

_They both know._

Zuko realized belatedly that he should say or do something besides standing there, his mouth opening and closing helplessly like a fish yanked out of water, but it took all of his concentration not to pass out.

And yet, something like a mantra started playing over and over in his mind, until it consumed all of his thoughts.

_We’re going to have a baby, I’m a father now, Katara and I…_

Despite the seriousness and simultaneous ridiculousness of this entire situation, he found himself grinning wildly at the thought.

He and Katara were having a _baby_ …

His uncle cleared his throat, swiftly bringing him back down to earth, where his two companions seemed far less ecstatic at the moment.

“Nephew… I believe we already know the answer but I must ask regardless…” Iroh began in a strangled voice.

Zuko immediately nodded as his grin faded.

“Yeah, I’m the… we…”

He raked his fingers through his hair in an attempt to steady himself as his uncle let out a long, ragged breath and sat down in a nearby chair. Katara’s father, however, never took his eyes off of the Fire Lord, studying him intently and clearly sizing him up.

“I… I don’t know how this happened, we thought we were being careful,” Zuko said feebly as an explanation, all too aware that he was sweating a bit under the chief’s harsh glare.

The voices from the bedchamber had steadily grown louder, finally drawing Hakoda’s icy blue eyes away from staring him down and towards the adjoining room instead.

But the one that caught their attention the most was the one that completely broke Zuko’s heart once he heard it.

“Lay off her, Twinkletoes, or so help me…” Toph snapped, sounding far more serious than he had ever heard in the time that he’d known her.

“Oh, well _excuse me_ for feeling betrayed!” Aang retorted furiously. “What happened to that whole, ‘we’re in the middle of a war and it’s not the right time’ speech, huh? Seems like you found time to hop into some other guy’s bed anyways…”

“Aang, it wasn’t like that!” Katara cried out, her voice thick with tears. “Please, you’re not being fair…”

Zuko’s eyes narrowed, and he realized smoke was wisping up from his nostrils and rising from his clenched fists. He turned to the chief and let out a breath, exhaling a dark cloud as well.

“I promise that I’ll answer any questions you have later,” he assured the older man, drawing himself up to his full height and squaring his shoulders back in determination. “But there’s something I need to take care of first.”

Her father raised his eyebrow and nodded curtly, extending his hand in the direction of the bedroom.

“After _you_ , Lord Zuko,” he said grimly.

If he hadn’t been so upset on Katara’s behalf, he might have been intimidated by the chief’s coldness. As it was, however, he had far more pressing concerns to attend to.

~*~*~

He swung open the door to her bedroom a bit harder than he meant to, flinching as it slammed against the wall with a loud _thud_.

The ongoing argument came to an abrupt stop, and five heads swiveled towards his direction in the doorway, where he stood flanked by the chief and his uncle.

“That’s enough,” Zuko said in a low, dangerous voice. “Leave her alone.”

His eyes immediately sought out Katara, who was standing near the bed hugging herself nervously. Suki and Toph had taken up residence on either side of Katara to offer their support, fending off as many inquiries as possible on her behalf.

Sokka and the Avatar were standing a few feet away from the three girls, looking thoroughly confused and infuriated, respectively.

Katara’s eyes were red rimmed as if she’d been crying, and something painful twisted in his gut at the sight of her wiping her face and looking almost terrified. He mentally kicked himself for leaving her alone to face their interrogation while he had stood thunderstruck and mentally incapacitated by his own bewilderment.

He should have rushed in here to show his support the moment he found out, not gawking around like an idiot while she was left stranded… but he would do whatever it took to atone for it now.

Zuko gave her a lopsided smile, a useless gesture that he hoped would show her that he wasn’t mad at her in the slightest as he quietly crossed the room.

Sokka and Aang’s eyes widened in disbelief as they watched him walk past them, and when they finally put all of the clues together both inhaled sharply and exchanged silent looks with the others.

Thankfully, Suki and Toph moved aside once Zuko approached to keep the other two boys at bay, and he soon found himself staring down into Katara’s brilliant blue eyes.

“Hey,” he said softly, instinctively reaching out to brush a loose strand of hair away from her face. “Are you okay?”

She shook her head, mustering up a ghost of a smile.

“Honestly, I’ve been better,” she deadpanned.

Somehow he grinned, even though all of their friends were outright staring at them now, not to mention his uncle and her father, who was surely going to kill him by the end of the day…

“Zuko, I don’t know how this…” she began before she faltered, and he noticed she was blinking back a fresh wave of unshed tears.

“Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay,” he murmured, pulling her into his embrace and resting his cheek against her hair. “I’ve got you.”

His arms wrapped around her, keeping her safe and protected. Her hands slid around his back uncertainly, and she buried her face against his chest, and he carefully raised his body temperature by a few degrees, just enough for her to stop shivering.

“We’ll figure this out together, I promise…” he whispered, planting a few kisses on her head. “I’ll do whatever it takes… I love you so much, Katara.”

She tilted her head back until she met his gaze, and he rested his forehead against hers, returning her tired smile with one of his own.

“I love you, too,” she breathed.

His eyes crinkled up in happiness and he felt brighter than a ray of pure sunshine beaming through the clouds after a thunderstorm. Even though they had an audience, he was tempted to swoop down and kiss her.

All the same, he found himself grinning like the lovestruck fool that he was and leaning his head closer towards hers… at least until they heard a gust of wind and the door to her bedroom slam against the wall.

Their heads whipped around in the direction of the sound, and instinctively he moved to shield her from whatever caused the noise.

But his protectiveness turned out to be unnecessary, as it quickly became apparent that the Avatar had stormed out, leaving them all staring speechless in his wake.

~*~*~

After a silence that seemed to stretch on for an eternity, her brother finally spoke up.

“Okay, I think I speak for everyone when I say… _what_?” he said, furrowing his brow. “One, how long have you guys been together? Two, why didn’t you tell us before now, and three, when did… this… happen?”

Sokka waved his hand in a vague gesture towards her stomach, and Katara bit back a sigh. Before either of them could answer though, he continued.

“And four… give me one good reason why I shouldn’t castrate you _right here_ , _right now_ for taking advantage of my little sister.”

Zuko’s jaw fell open and his eyes narrowed, wondering briefly how bad it would look if he beat his child’s uncle to a pulp for even suggesting such a thing.

“I did _not_ , and I would _never_ -” he started to growl before he was cut off, as all of Katara’s apprehensiveness seemed to vanish in an instant, replaced instead by cold fury.

“Sokka!” she snapped, neatly sidestepping Zuko and stomping over to jab her finger in her brother’s face. “First of all, he did _not_ take advantage of me, _I’m_ the one who instigated things!”

Zuko could feel his cheeks flush, even the scarred one, as Sokka’s face turned pale and he mumbled something about too much information.

Suki elbowed Toph triumphantly, and Hakoda simply sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and looked _very tired_ all of a sudden by the direction this conversation had suddenly taken.

Only his uncle remained aloof, although Zuko still detected a hint of a smirk that was quickly steeled back to impassiveness.

The Fire Lord groaned and covered his face with his palms, dragging them downwards as Katara continued speaking, briefly explaining how they got together and catching everyone else up on their plan.

“We wanted to take things slow and go through the proper courtship process since we rushed into things back then,” Katara finished. “Hence why we kept our relationship a secret, at least until the time was right.” 

Zuko exhaled resolutely and nodded, stepping forward to stand beside Katara.

“Look, Sokka, I get it,” he said in his most placating tone. “You’re feeling betrayed and you’re absolutely furious with me, and you have every right to be. I know how bad this will reflect on both of us, especially Katara, and believe me, as much as I love your sister, this isn’t how I wanted things-”

“Ohhh, no you don’t,” Sokka interrupted with a derisive snort. “Don’t start with that _love_ crap and try to make me take pity on you!”

Then he yelped as Suki swatted his arm, which was quickly followed by another swat from his sister.

“Are you kidding me?” he squawked, glaring at them both.

His girlfriend rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips.

“Sokka, the guy practically shoved me out of the way so he could rescue your sister from the falling rocks that last day at the Western Air Temple,” Suki admonished, looking thoroughly exasperated. “Then he takes _lightning_ to the _heart_ to protect her again, not to mention we all just heard them both admit that they love each other. What’s it going to take to convince you?”

Toph then joined in and punched Sokka’s arm, causing him to yelp again.

“Seriously, Snoozles? And supposedly _I’m_ the blind one around here. Suki and I even had a bet going for the longest time about which one of them was going to make the first move.”

Katara’s eyebrows raised as she exchanged a look of annoyance with Zuko before they turned to face the others.

“Remind me to circle back to that… bet of yours…” he grumbled, rubbing his forehead and feeling a headache coming on. “But as I was saying, this is not something that either of us planned on happening, obviously. We took precautions and thought we were being careful, but…”

Zuko sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before he lowered his hands and turned his palms outward.

“Yell at me all you want. Hit me or beat me up, even, if it’ll make you feel better. Challenge me to a duel or something, and I’ll let you win without even putting up a fight. Just don’t take your anger out on Katara anymore, okay?”

Sokka looked like he was actually considering it for a moment, at least until his sister swatted him again. This time, though, she swatted at the Fire Lord as well, and both yelped in indignation.

“What was that for?” Zuko hissed, frowning down at her in betrayal. 

“Yeah, I didn’t even do anything!” Sokka protested, rubbing his now-bruised arm.

Katara planted her feet firmly on the ground between her lover and her brother, resting her hands on her hips and scowling fiercely at both of them.

“Because you’re both being _idiots_!” she yelled, fuming.

She inhaled and her voice dropped down to calmer tones, though it was no less ferocious.

“Honestly, you both are acting like melodramatic little boys. Sokka, I appreciate that you’re trying to defend me, but this whole overprotective big brother act is only making things worse. Zuko, you don’t need to fall on the sword for me, especially after everything you’ve already done for my sake…”

Zuko zoned out during the rest of her little speech, distracted by the way the sunlight filtering in through the windows illuminated her features and made her even lovelier than she already was. 

Was it terrible that he was getting turned on by the fire blazing in her eyes? Zuko knew better than to say anything out loud, of course, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like it whenever she got bossy and took charge like this.

Especially like she had dominated him their night together that led to their current predicament...

“No one is beating anyone else up or challenging each other to stupid duels of honor on my behalf, okay?” she was saying, thankfully oblivious to his less than virtuous thoughts. “This whole situation is just as much my fault as it is his, so if you’re going to yell at someone, it might as well be me too.”

Katara paused, practically daring her brother or father or anyone else to lecture her at the moment. Fortunately, all of them possessed common sense and knew better than to provoke her any further, especially with pregnancy hormones at play.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” she said a bit haughtily.

She reached out and took Zuko’s hand in hers, less as an act of defiance and more as a show of unity. 

~*~*~

There was another long, awkward stillness afterwards, broken only by a few members of the present company coughing uncertainly.

Finally the chief stepped forward from where he’d been hanging back, silently observing the scene as it unfolded, and he cleared his throat as he walked towards his daughter.

Katara deflated a little but kept her chin held high nonetheless, and Zuko squeezed her hand in reassurance.

Hakoda sighed once he reached the pair and regarded them in silence for a minute. Then he held out his arms, and his daughter quickly filled them, choking back a sob in spite of herself.

It had been a rather emotional morning, after all, and her hormones were all over the place.

“Oh, Snowflake,” he murmured, giving his daughter a gentle squeeze. “I’m not angry. I just want what’s best for you, and whatever happens, I’ll always love you, sweetie.”

She sniffled slightly and wiped her eyes.

“You’re… you’re not upset?” she asked incredulously, looking up. “I thought you would be furious?”

The chief’s eyes were warm as they gazed down at her, but there was sadness in them, too.

“Well, I’m not _thrilled_ with how this happened, but… I had my suspicions when they told us that you’d been sick all morning long,” Hakoda explained gently. “However, I didn’t know for sure until just now. Your mother went through the same thing for the first few months after she found out she was pregnant with you and your brother.”

Then he nodded in Zuko’s direction as well.

“I’m not angry with you either,” he said coolly, “although you and I need to have a nice, long conversation in the near future-”

“Which we can, right this minute if you’d prefer,” Zuko interjected, adding in a polite bow and nod of deference for good measure. “I swear, I only want what’s best for your daughter.”

Hakoda said nothing, eying him intently, so he continued.

“I love her,” Zuko said with as much conviction as he could muster, placing his hand above his lightning scar for emphasis. “More than my own life, even…” 

The chief watched him silently and finally nodded his head in acknowledgement. Hakoda gave his daughter a final squeeze before he pulled away.

“We have a lot to discuss,” he said at last, kissing his daughter’s forehead affectionately. “But for now, I think the rest of us should give these two some time alone. We can meet later this evening once everyone’s had a chance to cool down.” 

The others mumbled their agreement and several admittedly awkward hugs and pats on the shoulders were distributed from their friends, offering their heartfelt congratulations.

Before he left, though, Sokka paused in front of his sister and his friend, sighing.

“Sorry for freaking out like that earlier, buddy,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Also, sorry for threatening to… ya know, geld you and all that…”

Zuko groaned and pressed the heel of his palm against his forehead.

“If we could _never_ mention that again, that would be _great_ ,” he mumbled, shuddering instinctively at the thought, and Sokka nodded vehemently.

For some cruel, evil reason, Toph chose to leave them all with a parting shot.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t threaten to castrate him anymore if I were you, Snoozles. I’m pretty sure that Sugar Queen will want more rides on her lover boy in the future, and she can’t do that if you’ve hacked off his-”

“TOPH!!!” several voices shrieked out in mortification.

She just cackled evilly, blowing a kiss in their general direction as she walked away.

“That’s for hooking up next to my bedroom that night, which I sensed by the way,” she called out over her shoulder. “You both still owe me for all of the seismic mental images I got, which have traumatized me for life…”

Zuko refused to move his hands from his face, which had gone entirely crimson, until he heard his uncle pointedly clearing his throat nearby. He warily peeked over his fingertips, noting that only Iroh and Hakoda remained in the room with them.

The chief shot him a raised eyebrow that made Zuko wish he could bury himself underground lest he die from embarrassment before resuming a hushed conversation with his daughter.

Iroh patted the Fire Lord’s shoulder reassuringly and flashed him a cheerful smile.

“Nephew, I know that this is not how you or Miss Katara planned for things to go, but… I do believe that everything happens for a reason, and that the spirits will bless your child.”

Zuko mustered up a smile in relief and pulled his uncle in for a hug.

“Thank you,” he mumbled against his shoulder and received a comforting pat on the back. “Uncle… I thought you’d be disappointed in me…”

“Of course not!” the old general insisted. “Granted, this will make everything much harder for you, especially with your reign being so young and in handling negotiations with our allies both foreign and domestic…”

Zuko smiled and rested his hand against his scarred chest once more.

“She’s worth it.”

His uncle beamed, and minutes later the Fire Lord found himself blinking up at the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe.

He meant to swallow lightly but it turned into a gulp instead, and Zuko just knew that his good eye had to be as round as a dinner plate, staring at her father with no small amount of trepidation.

They regarded each other in silence, listening as Iroh spoke with Katara nearby and offered his earnest congratulations, as well as any services that the palace could provide to make pregnancy woes easier for her.

“Ginger tea helped my wife considerably with handling morning sickness, I’ll make sure you receive plenty of it…” he was saying as she nodded gratefully.

Zuko smiled in spite of himself and ducked his head. Leave it to his uncle the tea aficionado to know that… although at some point he wanted to pick his brain about why the contraceptive tea hadn’t worked. Perhaps it had expired?

“So, Lord Zuko…”

His head whipped upwards to face Hakoda, who was still sizing him up, his burly arms folded across his chest. It occurred to Zuko then that her father could probably break him clean in half if he wanted to, with minimal effort.

“Yes sir?” he responded, hoping the older man didn’t pick up on how timid his voice suddenly sounded. “Also, you don’t have to use my title… you can just call me Zuko.”

Hakoda’s mouth twitched, and for a moment he seemed amused by how shaken up his daughter’s lover was. After all, it wasn’t every day that one got to make the Fire Lord himself sweat and shake in his boots, and he spent a few moments more than necessary relishing it.

But that wasn’t entirely fair to the obviously terrified young man standing before him who had already proven his devotion to Katara, the chief conceded to himself, so he opted to end Zuko’s suffering as soon as possible.

“My family and I are forever in your debt, considering all you have done for us,” Hakoda said solemnly. “You rescued me from prison at great risk to yourself and you saved my daughter’s life, as well as my first grandchild’s, even though the fate of your country and your birthright itself was at stake.”

“But more than that, I can see that you genuinely love my daughter, and she returns those same sentiments,” the chief continued. “I had my suspicions before today, in fact, ever since we all reunited for your coronation. Even if you two were not bonded together, I would still wish for you and I to remain allies as we work to rebuild in this new era of peace. Consider this my blessing, as long as you continue to love and protect Katara with your life.”

That, at least, was something Zuko was certain he could do.

“I’d die before I’d let anything happen to her… and our child,” he added, allowing his demeanor to darken just enough to prove how serious he was.

Hakoda’s icy blue eyes gleamed proudly in the sunlight, and he extended his arm in the Southern Water Tribe tradition to let the Fire Lord know that he had been accepted as one of them.

“I have no doubt that you will, son.”

~*~*~

They eventually filed out of the room, leaving Zuko alone with Katara at last. Once they were gone, all was silent as both watched each other, neither of them willing to speak first.

Finally, Katara spoke out, drawing a deep breath to steady her pounding heart.

“I know this is a lot to take in, and I can only guess what you must be thinking right now,” she began nervously, “and you’re probably freaking out-”

But she was cut off, letting out a squeal of surprise as she suddenly became weightless. His arms wrapped carefully around her waist, spinning them both in a circle, and once he set her down again his lips immediately sought hers out.

Her eyes fluttered open, and he certainly didn’t seem upset – if anything, he appeared to be over the moon ecstatic as he kissed her, which eased her mind considerably.

She giggled in spite of herself, and he smiled against her mouth, his eyes half open in a state of pure euphoria as he rested his forehead against hers.

“So are you… are you okay?” she breathed, although she was certain that she already knew the answer.

He responded by kissing her feverishly once more, threading his fingers through her hair and resting his other hand against her lower back, pulling her closer to him.

“Are you kidding?” he asked, peppering kisses all over her face. “I’ve never been happier. I love you – _both_ of you – so much.”

Katara sighed in relief, closing her eyes as she hugged him tighter.

“Granted, I almost passed out in front of my uncle and your father earlier when I found out…” he added, shrugging his shoulders. “But all things considered, I think I’m handling things pretty well.”

She winced, giving him a squeeze as she tilted her head back to look up.

“That was definitely not how I wanted you – any of you – to find out,” she said, sighing. “I’m still in shock myself… Zuko, I drank the tea, I don’t understand how this could have happened.”

He shrugged again.

“I don’t either,” he admitted. “I _know_ I brewed it properly, and you said Sokka was keeping watch over it…”

Something clicked in his mind, and he froze as the epiphany washed over him. Katara raised her eyebrow in concern, asking if he felt sick.

“No, I’m fine, it’s just…” he closed his eyes, as the answer became suddenly clear. “How did your tea taste again when you drank it? Was it bitter and harsh, or was it sweeter?”

She eyed him suspiciously.

“It tasted sweet… why?” she asked.

Zuko groaned and pressed his palms against his eyes, wondering how much diplomatic immunity he’d have punching her idiot brother in the jaw for mixing up the cups of tea.

“… _fuck,_ ” he spat out. “I think I know exactly what happened.”

~*~*~

To Katara’s credit, she listened calmly enough as he explained how he’d brewed two cups of tea that morning.

One silphium, which he’d passed off as licorice root to Sokka to divert his suspicions, and one that actually was licorice root after her brother requested a cup.

Katara’s eyes understandably widened in horror as Zuko explained that the contraceptive tea _should_ have tasted bitter, while licorice root was inherently sweeter.

Her gut feeling back then had told her there was something off about the tea, that it was too sweet to actually be silphium. But all of them had been distracted by the Avatar’s absence and she’d completely forgotten to mention it to Zuko.

When he finished speaking, she frowned and rubbed her slightly rounded tummy.

“I’m going to kill my brother,” she declared. “I mean, not really, but…”

Zuko nodded and placed his hands on her stomach as well.

“Don’t get me wrong, finding out that you were pregnant earlier was one of the happiest moments of my life,” he said, kneeling down and kissing right below her navel.

She gazed down at him skeptically.

“I’m serious,” he insisted, pressing his cheek against her stomach. “Sure, there were better ways we could have found out, but that doesn’t matter now. What’s important to me is that we’re having a _baby_.”

He stood once more and wrapped her up in a warm, safe embrace.

“I have no idea how to be a father,” he whispered. “I don’t think I’ll be any good at it, to be honest. But what I do know is that I love you more than my own life, and I’ll do anything to protect you and our baby.”

Katara didn’t trust herself to speak yet without bursting into tears – ugh, stupid pregnancy hormones – so she just pressed kisses all along his jaw until she reached his lips.

“I love you too,” she murmured, nuzzling her head under his chin. “I don’t know what I’m doing either, but we’ll figure this out together… and for what it’s worth, I think you’ll be an amazing father.”

Zuko beamed down at her, his eyes crinkled up.

“As long as I’ve got you by my side, I could do anything,” he whispered.

She grinned and was about to say something when he scooped her up, causing her to squeak in surprise and wrap her legs around his waist instinctively. He balanced her out, holding her carefully to make sure she didn’t fall, and she draped her arms around his neck.

“Enjoy this while it lasts,” she teased. “In a few months I’ll be too round for you to pick up.”

He smirked up at her.

“I’ll take that challenge.”

She shook her head with a smile before leaning forward to plant kisses around his ear.

“Before we go chew out my stupid brother… do you feel up to celebrating?” she breathed, carefully squeezing his hips between her thighs. “Because I’ve missed _you_.”

His good eye widened.

“Can we still, um, do that in your condition?” he asked, even as he started walking them both back towards the bed as quickly as possible. 

“As long as we’re careful, especially in the later months,” she replied, nipping at his ear. “Besides, you’ve already gotten me pregnant. It’s not like that’s a concern anymore.”

Zuko raised his eyebrow and chuckled before he delicately laid her out on the mattress, surrounded by soft pillows.

He took a moment or two to admire the sight of her before partially covering her body with his, making sure that he wasn’t pressing down on her stomach.

It never hurt to be too careful, after all.

~*~*~

Afterwards, he stood leaning in the doorway, watching with a ridiculous smile on his face as she finished styling her hair, which was still slightly damp from the bath.

She caught him staring at her in the mirror and grinned, turning around to face him.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked with a wink. “Never seen a girl get ready before?”

He shook his head and took her hands in his, gently rubbing circles in the center of her palms with his thumbs. 

“Would you laugh if I said that you were the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen?” he asked quietly.

Something about the sincerity of his tone gave her pause, and she sank into his embrace once more, shivering despite the warmth radiating from him.

“I’d think you were lying,” she murmured playfully, pressing quick kisses against his neck, “but I love hearing it all the same.”

His head ducked as he swooped down to kiss her again, lifting her up and holding her securely against his chest in the process.

She grinned down at him, and he kissed her cheek for good measure.

“Ready to go chew out my idiot brother?” she asked.

“I almost feel like we should be thanking him instead,” he countered with a tilt of his head. “After all, he may have made a mess of things, but we do get a baby to love and spoil in several months.”

“True, but remember how he threatened you earlier? Specifically, how he said he was going to castrate you?”

There was a fraction of a pause before he replied, brow furrowed.

“Excellent point. Let’s go deliver some payback. I can’t hit him without causing an international scandal, though, but I can be your support system.”

“Sounds perfect, Father Lord.” 

Zuko rolled his eyes at the new nickname but didn’t seem too put out by it, truth be told. He set her down and helped smooth out her dress, pausing just long enough kiss her again.

Then, hand in hand, they set out to face the rest of the world together, knowing nothing could tear them apart ever again.


End file.
